In the cadenzas Beethoven wrote for his C-Major Piano Concerto, opus 15, higher high-notes are utilized than those in the concerto itself. The cadenzas were written down around 1809, more than a decade after the concerto. When you add on a new room to your house you may use the same materials as the original construction, but whether using the same materials or not, you're likely to utilize current technology in doing the construction. … [Read more...]
Luigi Beethoven — postmodernist
Before, I've speculated that many of Beethoven's texts read as parody -- a mockery of 18th-century styles and practices. In some postmodern music -- John Zorn or Rzewski's People United -- musical styles, harmonic behaviors, or keyboard textures come on and off like readymade shirts in a fitting room. Though now it may be harder to discern (our subtle reception of old stylistic distinctions may be dulled), Beethoven does something … [Read more...]